Arranged Marriage - Essay Example

?Arranged Marriage Table of Contents Introduction 3 Thesis ment 3 Discussion: Toulmin Strategy for Arguments 4 Grounds 5 Warrant 5 Backing 6 Qualification 7 Conclusion 7 Works Cited 8 Introduction Marriage is regarded to be a social association or a legal contract between two people of opposite gender. In general, it is described as a practice in which interpersonal relationships are acknowledged. Moreover, it is also viewed as an institution of evolving gender roles as well as transforming cultural practices on local, regional, national and global levels (Coontz, “The Origins of Modern Divorce”). According to various anthropologists along with sociologists, marriages reveal the relationship between emotion, privacy, sexuality and ideologies creating a bond between a man and a woman. They also affirmed marriage to be a social institution which attempts to establish broad assortment of social norms that promote ethical behaviors in order to protect the relationship amid mankind (Hart, “Love by Arrangement: The Ambiguity of ‘Spousal Choice’ In a Turkish Village”). Thesis Statement The discussion henceforth will be emphasized on critically evaluating Gitanjeli Sapra’s argument that arranged marriages are actually healthier as compared to love marriages. With this concern, the Toulmin strategy has been selected to structure the arguments in a comprehensive way. Discussion: Toulmin Strategy for Arguments The conception of ‘Toulmin Strategy for Argument’ comprises six different parts which include ‘claim’, ‘qualification’, ‘rebuttal/observation’, ‘grounds’, ‘warrant’ and ‘backing’. The prime intention of this theory is to provide effective guidance in analyzing as well as constructing a suitable logic of a specific argument through the aid of the aforementioned constituents. The detailed analysis of the aforesaid facets based on the argument of Gitanjeli Sapra has been provided hereunder. Claim Arranged Marriages are actually healthier than the kinds of marriages people are accustomed to in the Western world. Since ages, marriages in humankind are regarded to be a sacred practice which intends to generate interpersonal affiliation and kinship between the two people, their families and communities. The terminology of ‘arranged marriages’ are viewed to distinguish those marriages which are primarily negotiated by the family members of the bride and the groom rather than any couple themselves. This kind of marriages is also acknowledged as prearranged marriages. In relation to the argument which deals with reference to the fact that arranged marriages are actually healthier in comparison with any other marriages, it can be stated that arranged marriages possess numerous significant advantages as compared to other kinds of marriages. The arguments regarding arranged marriages have been mostly based on the perception that such kinships are proportionately healthier in comparison to love marriages as arranged marriages strengthen both economic as well as social ties between the couples (Hart, “Love by Arrangement: The Ambiguity of ‘Spousal Choice’ In a Turkish Village”). Grounds The major ground for supporting the claim is that arranged marriages last longer and the rates of divorces are quite less. Stating precisely, it has often been observed that arranged marriages tend to last longer owing to the aspect that the couples are rightly matched through planning and patience as they posses similar culture and share identical religious upbringing. The other precious learnt feature of arranged marriage depicts that there lies a lesser probable chance of divorces. In this regard, it can be stated that the possible chance of divorcing is quite minimum in the case of arranged marriages as compared to other marriages as the couples belong to similar family backgrounds and share identical views regarding life (Hart, “Love by Arrangement: The Ambiguity of ‘Spousal Choice’ In a Turkish Village”). Warrant The principle that connects the grounds to the claim is that arranged marriages are mainly negotiated by the parents rather than the couples themselves. From a global perspective, it has also been observed that arranged marriages are considered to be a good practice due to the reason that these sorts of marriages are stable as well as healthier in nature. Furthermore, in the case of arranged marriages, the couples mainly emphasize upon adjusting themselves with each other’s lifestyle choices (Hart, “Love by Arrangement: The Ambiguity of ‘Spousal Choice’ In a Turkish Village”). Backing Arranged marriages are claimed to be healthier when compared with the results of love marriages from a generalized perspective. It is fundamentally based on the perception that the agreed unions of the couples in case of arranged marriages are based upon mutual interests rather than physical attraction which strongly works in love marriages (Sapra 288-289). Rebuttal/Observation Although, strong arguments are built to prove that arranged marriages are actually healthier as compared to the trend of love marriages, certain exceptions to such beliefs can also be identified in this context. It can be argued that arranged marriages often fail to encourage the couples to marry their preferred ones as these marriages are duly arranged by their parents leading towards a life-long discomfort or regret if the couple is unsuccessful in developing mutual understanding and cooperation. Moreover, based on the similar concerns, it has often been argued that though arranged marriages are quite healthier, it significantly lacks in establishing any room for adjustments. Conversely, this particular feature can be observed in the case of love marriages where understanding within the couple is formulated prior to the marriages causing lesser chances of conflict among the duo. Knowing each other before marriage and owing to their mutual free consent, the couples experiencing love marriages try to make adjustments amid themselves by modifying their lifestyles or habits (Inglis, Ramos & Simpson, “Modelling Mathematical Argumentation: The Importance Of Qualification”). Qualification The limitation towards the claim, the backing and the warrant mentioned above is that arranged marriages might not get successful due to the lack of love aspirations and emotional attachments between the couples due to their topmost priority of adjusting relations rather than love (Inglis, Ramos & Simpson, “Modelling Mathematical Argumentation: The Importance Of Qualification”). Conclusion Marriage is regarded to be a significant stage in people’s life. After acquiring a brief idea about the notion of arranged marriages, it can be stated that these sorts of marriages are similar to modern-day science that has been exercised since long ages. Most of the people till date tend to prefer arranged marriages as they believe that their relationship with their partner can be stable only if they belong to similar culture along with family background and most importantly share identical religious upbringing. However, it has often been viewed that arranged marriages fail to encourage the couples to make their preferred choice of partner as these marriages are pre-arranged by the families. Moreover, arranged marriages also lack in making any room for adjustments, in comparison to the case of love marriages. Hence, it can be stated that it is not the process of binding two people through marriage that influences the consequences of such kinships; rather, it is the arrangement between the duo in terms of understanding, commitment and comprising that leads to a successful life-time marriage. Works Cited Coontz, Stephanie. “The Origins of Modern Divorce”. Family Process 46 (2007): 7-16. Print. Hart, Kimberley. “Love by Arrangement: The Ambiguity of ‘Spousal Choice’ In a Turkish Village”. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 13 (2007): 345-362. Print. Inglis, Ramos and Adrian Simpson. Modelling Mathematical Argumentation: The Importance of Qualification. Springer, 05 Apr. 2007. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. Sapra, Gitanjeli. I’m Happy With An Arranged Marriage. 2003. Back to the Lake. Ed. Thomas Cooley. 2nd Edition. New York: Norton, 2012. 288-289. Print. Read More